Coming together of 11 parties a "positive" development: NCP

New Delhi, Feb 25: NCP on Tuesday hailed as a "positive development" the coming together of 11 Left and secular parties claiming to be an alternative and vowing to defeat both Congress and BJP.

"We welcome the move. It is a positive development", NCP spokesman D P Tripathi said when his reaction was sought on the meeting here of the leaders of JD(U), Samajwadi Party, AIADMK, JD(S),Jharkhand Vikas Morcha and four Left parties.

The 11-party combination also came out with a joint declaration which said "it is time for a change and to throw out Congress from power... BJP and the communal forces must be defeated and prevented from coming to power."

NCP had participated in the convention against communalism here organised by the Left parties in October last year that had started the process of coming together of these parties.

It had, however, stayed away from an 11-party block formed in parliament subsequently.

The party, headed by Agriclutre Minister Sharad Pawar, became the second largest constituent of Congress-led UPA after the parting of ways by Trinamool Congress and DMK.